One of the many reasons why Alfred Hitchcock's films were so terrifying and compelling when they were first released was this: he didn't show the monster — at least not entirely. And if he did show the monster, it was always at a key moment that deepened the mystery, suspense, and terror of the film rather than stole from it.

Think about the famous thriller/slasher Psycho. The killer, when he's all dressed up, is present in the scenes thematically, but he's visually present only about 25% of the shots he appears in. And when he is in a frame, all we get to see is a silhouette, if that.

Does that make the monster more terrifying and mysterious — engaging, if you will — than less terrifying? It's because the mind engages with the silhouette or the spectre of a character, creates its own narratives, conjectures its own physical features and psychological makeup, but still can't completely unlock the mystery of this person.

Or think about a newer movie like Signs if you're not a Hithcock fan. Spooky huh? Well, at least until we actually saw the aliens in full. Then it became a bit anti-climactic.

This is a lesson a lot of artists and media types could well learn from. In a world where everybody is putting themselves, their brand, or their work in the faces of people both online and off, there is no mystery, suspense, or wonder left for the mind to engage in. So we lose out on the power of masterful storytelling and the wonder it creates.

Because we've already seen the product after you shoved it in our faces, we aren't curious enough to see it for ourselves and hold it in our hands.

Because e've already heard how awesome your record is because you told us with that tweet, we don't want to get the record and listen to it in our home.

Because we've already had the main course, we don't want to order an appetizer that is the trick up your sleeve.

Sure, sometimes it is better to show the monster. But often times it's better to keep the monster present only 25% of the time, and let the other 75% — which is the story — take care of the wonder, awe, suspense, and mystery.